A New Family
by suchsmallhands47
Summary: Aurora's having a hard time giving birth and Killian's trying to help.


A wail of agony filled the room, followed by a stream of curses. Medical monitors beeped and nurses flitted about, and there was a flurry of activity. Aurora, from whom the wail had come, was lying in a bed in Storybrooke Hospital, about to give birth. Or trying, anyway. It seemed like it had been days since she felt the first labor pain, though she knew it was really only hours. How many, she wasn't quite sure. Between the pain and the exhaustion and Killian alternating between barking orders at everyone else and asking Aurora if there was anything he could do for her, she wasn't sure if time was racing or standing still.

It was hard to believe only 8 months had passed since she'd found out she was having a child. She'd been terrified at first. She and Killian weren't married and he wasn't the sort of man she'd thought would leap for joy at the idea of being a father. He was selfish and irresponsible and at times cruel, but despite all that, Aurora loved him anyway.

She'd cried when she told him, afraid he would sail off and leave her to have the baby alone, but he'd surprised her in more ways than one. Sure, at first he'd been as terrified as she was, but it wasn't long before he completely turned around and began building a baby crib, painting a nursery in their little house by the river, and planning everything he was "going to teach the boy about how to be a man."

Aurora had told him many times that the baby might be a girl, and told him about what the doctor said about how in this world they could take pictures of the baby before it was born, but Killian just said that was ridiculous, he knew without a doubt that the child would be a boy.

So Aurora didn't press. Killian had never told her much about his own father, but she gathered he wasn't the best role model. It seemed Killian was determined to be the opposite of his own father, to show his child the love Aurora suspected he did without.

Another contraction hit and Aurora left forth another stream of swears. Just as she did so, Dr. Whale entered the room. He laughed and said, "Well, pirate, it seems you've been teaching your sweet princess the many vulgarities of the sailor."

Killian pointed his hook at him. "Whale! You're a doctor! Can't you get this child out of her? It's been bloody ages and this doctor clearly doesn't know what the hell he's doing." Killian gestured to the man sitting at Aurora's feet. Dr. Johnson simply rolled his eyes. He'd been listening to Killian's abuse for hours now and he'd learned to just ignore it.

"Calm down, Hook. Aurora's in good hands. It won't be long, I'm sure." He turned to Aurora and said to her, "I bet you're regretting saying no to 'this land's strange potions' now, aren't you?"

Aurora bit back another groan and answered, "Maybe a little." When the doctor first told her about the epidural, it had seemed needless. Women in her land had had babies without it forever and they were fine. Now she wondered if she shouldn't have taken advantage.

Killian took Aurora's hand in his own rough, calloused one and gently placed a kiss on her swollen belly. "Come on now, little one," he said softly. "You're causing your mummy a lot of pain and I know you don't want that. Just come on out so we can meet you."

"Anyway," Whale interrupted, "You've got a huge crowd out there for you. Snow sent me in here to check on you and see if you needed anything. Emma's going to wear a hole in the waiting room floor with her pacing and Mulan's been glaring at her. It's a good thing they both left their swords at home. Oh, and Belle said to say they all love you. As though you don't already know that. And pretty much the rest of Storybrooke is out there, too."

Aurora laughed. "I'm fine, Dr. Whale. Tell them I love them too."

A moment later Dr. Johnson said, "Nearly there, Aurora. It's almost time to push." Whale excused himself, saying he'd go give the crowd the news.

If Aurora thought she was in pain before, it was nothing compared to what came next. She pushed and pushed, breathing like the nurse told her to, but still the baby wouldn't come. At one point she leaned her head back and said, "Killian, I don't think I can do this."

He gripped her hand tightly and kissed her cheek. "Rora, love, I know you can do it. I know it. Just keep squeezing my hand as hard as you can. I can take it, love. Even though it's my one good hand, so try not to break it."

That made Aurora laugh again and soon she was pushing again. Finally, after what seemed like another age, the baby was out. "It's a girl!" Dr. Johnson announced.

"A girl?" Aurora looked over at Killian and she was surprised to see there were tears in his eyes. He kissed her forehead and said, "You did it, love. I knew you could, Princess. You're so bloody amazing." He kissed her again and again.

After a moment the baby began crying and before she knew it, Aurora was holding the tiny thing in her arms. Killian beamed down at her red little face.

"You're not disappointed?" Aurora asked him. "That she's not a boy?"

He frowned at her. "A boy? Nonsense! Who the bloody hell wants a boy? This beautiful little girl is perfect. I'm going to spoil her rotten and teach her to dance and build her a sailboat and fight off every single boy who so much as looks at her. Isn't that right, Rosie? Daddy's going to take such good care of you."

Aurora thought for a moment. "Rosie…I like that." She smiled up at him. "Do you want to hold your daughter, Killian?"

For a moment he seemed uncertain, even afraid, but he looked down and removed his hook, tossing it aside. Aurora placed the baby, wrapped in its blanket, in the crook of his arm and he used his good hand to softly touch the baby's cheeks.

As Aurora looked at them, she thought of her parents and the family she'd lost in her own land. She was sad they couldn't be there to see her child, but happy to have found a new family.


End file.
